Readers ask about F.A.I.P. lamp & how to find an auction

Friday at Auction Finds is readers’ questions day. I try to guide readers to resources for them to determine the value of the items that they own. I’m not able to appraise their treasures, but I can do some preliminary research to get them started. So, these are market values, not appraisal for insurance purposes that I suggest for itemsthat have been determined to be of great value.

This week’s questions are about an F.A.I.P. lamp and how to find an auction.

I bought this lovely F.A.I.P. lamp with a basket-weave shade at auction a few years ago.

Question:

F.A.I.P. lamp, can find little info as well, other than the confusion of the name “Fine Artist In Plaster” or “Federal Arts Initiative.” Info found by Googling. … I have (an) F.A.I.P. lamp to run for auction, need $ and appreciate any info if it is familiar. Time was put into this one, hate to part with it.

Answer:

The reader came across a blog post I wrote more than two years ago about a beautiful ethnic lampthat I bought at auction with a maker’s name of F.A.I.P. I found several lamps with the same name but could find very little additional information.

Most sites were repeating the same unverified information that F.A.I.P. stood for “Fine Arts In Plaster” or “Federal Artists Initiative Program.” Some even mentioned that it was part of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project, which I suspect is wrong. The lamps have more of a 1950s style.

You didn’t send me a photo of your lamp, which wouldn’t have made a difference because I can’t identify it. As for selling the lamp, I would suggest you try an auction house near you but ask them to sell it in their upscale auction (where it may sell for more), not their regular auction. Check a few auction houses before choosing one, and remember that they will charge you for the consignment.

You can find auction houses near you via auctionzip.com. Just type in your zip code, click Search and you’ll get a calendar of auctions by month and day.

EBay is another alternative because it offers a large marketplace from all over the world. The retail site Etsy is another suggestion.

The asking price for F.A.I.P. lamps on some online retail sites was in the hundreds of dollars – from $450 to $1,200, depending on the lamp. On eBay, they actually sold for $10 to $275, but a lot of them did not sell.

Boxes of items await sale outside an auction house.

Question:

I have been following your site since the posting about the Negro Motorist Green Book. I searched and searched for one, but couldn’t find one. I am generally interested in auction finds, so my question to you is how do you find out about the auctions?

Answer:

Thank you for following Auction Finds. I appreciate it. I’m also on the hunt for the Negro Motorist Green Book, and I always comb through papers and documents at all the auctions I attend hoping to find a copy. I’m certain that someone has one in their basement or attic waiting to be discarded on an auction table so I can stumble upon it.

I have been going to the same auction houses for years, so I don’t search for them anymore. Most auction houses have a set schedule for their auction days.

It’s very easy to find auctions near where you live. Go to auctionzip.com and type in your zip code and click Search. You’ll get a calendar showing auctions in your area by month. Click on any of the links and you’ll get a list of auctions for a particular day.

Most auction houses have a website, which will be listed with a link, and you can check the site to preview photos of the items in their upcoming sale.

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Book Me to Speak on “Historical Treasures in Your Home”

Our houses are filled with memorabilia and artifacts that are part of our family's history and legacy. But far too often we don't know what we have or assume it's worth very little or nothing.

What valuable items are in your home or a family member's home?

I can show you what to look for, how to research its market value online, how to get it appraised by a licensed appraiser, and whether to keep it, donate it or sell it.

Contact me for a presentation before your group or organization, and have everyone to bring along an item to be evaluated. This flyer shows some items that have sold at auction.

About Sherry Howard

I started going to auctions to fuel my love for African American art – but at a bargain. I love the old masters: Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Hughie Lee-Smith. I wanted to find their works and discover other veteran artists whose works may have been hiding in an attic or basement, and forgotten.

I’m a journalist by profession: I was a newspaper reporter and editor. Now, I’m taking what I did as a journalist – peeling back the covers of people’s lives and writing about what I found – and applying it to auctions. And I’m loving it.

Visit me often to see what I come up with. I would also like to share stories and photos of what you find and your collections. Click my Contact page.

What is my stuff worth?

Here are some tips for things you can do on your own to help determine what your items are worth:

First, try the web. Search for items similar to yours.
Go to the library or browse at a bookstore. Look through price and collector's guides pertaining to your item.
Get a free or reduced-price appraisal. Find local auction houses in your town and check their websites to see if they offer these quick appraisals. You can find auction houses near you via auctionzip.com.Pay for a real appraisal. This could be your last step or your first step (if you have an item that you already know is valuable).

You can get more detailed information on each of these tips in my blog post on the subject.